Patent Application
20100242767
The present invention relates to a printing system according to the preamble of claim 1.
In generic printing systems for producing printed products all components provided starting from the print material inlet up to the printed product outlet are integrated. According to the state of the art, the components of the printing system, comprising a preliminary stage, paper storage, daily storage, printing machine, supply and auxiliary units, further processing and transport system, are separately accommodated in different regions. The components and the units thereof are separately automated. For operation of the printing system, the operators are required to operate the units and to convey production material between the various components of the printing system. In some instances, for conveyance automated transport systems are provided as well. However, said transport systems feature different technical configurations as a function of the components and the transport material, so that a plurality of different interfaces is provided between the various transport systems.
Unloading of the paper reels or pallets containing paper sheets subsequent to delivery, sorting and conveyance out of the paper storage are either performed manually with the aid of a forklift truck or are automated, e.g. via corresponding unloading devices, dumping stations, buffer conveyors or shelf conveyor vehicles. The reels are conveyed manually or else with the aid of a transport unit of below-grade conveyor systems or above-grade conveyor systems for the purpose of unpacking or adhesion preparation, and are subsequently further conveyed to the printing machine. Document DE 39 10 444 A1 and Document DE 37 39 222 A1 describe such printing systems having transport systems for conveying paper reels.
Printing plates are also frequently delivered at a different location and are manually conveyed into the storage and are further conveyed from the storage to the plate production site. From this location, the printing plates are manually carried by the operators using stairs, elevators or auxiliary elevators so as to be placed in front of the individual printing stations and are manually mounted on the impression cylinder or are placed into the plate storage container of an automation unit installed at the printing unit. In the automation unit, the plates are then automatically mounted on the impression cylinder. Transport up to the printing station and to the storage container is carried out in an automated manner with the aid of a plate conveyor system specially provided for this purpose. Document DE 27 04 379 C2 describes such a conveyor system for transporting printing plates.
The transport of liquid printing material and printing auxiliary material, such as ink, to the intermediate tank system is carried out via pipes or else manually by means of containers. The transport of spare parts is performed manually with the aid of, where appropriate, an indoor crane.
Operation of the printing machine is typically performed in a soundproof and air-conditioned operator room located in a building and having the control centers located therein.
The units of the printing machine are stacked onto a so-called concrete table and are interconnected with the aid of one or several galleries, stairs or elevators. In this way, the various system levels are rendered accessible for the operating personnel. The concrete table fulfils a supporting function for the units of the printing machine and is required to ensure accessibility to the units directly arranged thereon. Moreover, the concrete table needs to be provided with openings for the paper webs and needs to provide sound insulation for the operators in the region below the table.
The individual units of preliminary stage, paper storage, daily storage, printing machine, supply and auxiliary units, further processing and transport systems are each equipped with operating, soundproofing and safety elements. For initial installation and maintenance of the units, temporary or stationary auxiliary cranes are installed as transport units.
It is a drawback of the known printing systems that components are arranged in a spatially separated fashion in different parts of a printing plant and that differently configured transport systems are provided between the components. The various transport systems are each suited for a specific transport material only. The planning and design of the system, and especially the future adaptation or further automation, therefore require considerable expenditure of time and costs.
Moreover, an adverse effect is produced by the aspect that the components constitute spatially and technically separate standalone solutions, the planning and installation, particularly the future adaption and further automation of which require considerable expenditure of time and costs.
The constructional design of the units is additionally determined by security regulations to be observed, such as pass line heights in the form of auxiliary steps, spacer pieces for height adjustment or the like.
The considerable distances and the number of the system levels have a negative impact on the manual transport of for instance printing plates, thereby giving rise to considerable transport times on the part of the operating personnel.
It is true that in the newly introduced compact printing units a reduced number of system levels needs to be provided, for operating, maintaining and cleaning the compact printing units, however, the system levels need to be subjected to a complex mechanical separation process, thereby increasing the costs for the printing units. In the region of the folding unit, several system levels need to be additionally provided, thereby rendering operation in the system setup and in eliminating malfunctions more difficult.
The operators must leave the room provided in the building for stacking the printing units. In the newly introduced compact units, the automation units for stacking need to be loaded even during operation of the printing couple, compelling the operators to wear noise protection means. Moreover, it is a drawback that both in the automation of the stacking process as well as in the automated feeding of paper reels or paper pallets manual operation still needs to be possible to ensure the safety of the production process. Hence, complex safety measures are required both for the manual and for the automated operation of the units.
It is also disadvantageous that in each case one automation unit is allocated for stacking one printing site, thusly requiring a large number of units. Hence, automation units are likewise installed at sites where they are actually inefficient in terms of production.
Moreover, when using a concrete table the long production time thereof also constitutes a drawback. The additional weight, the low flexibility in terms of modifications and upgrades of the printing system as well as the high costs required for production and disposal basically also constitute aspects against the use of concrete tables.
Insofar as a heavy-duty crane is required only for assembly, high additional costs are consequently incurred with respect to the crane and building reinforcement. For the transport of normal materials, the heavy-duty crane usually is not required.
Based on this state of the art it is hence an object of the present invention to suggest a novel printing system with which the drawbacks residing in the known state of the art are overcome.
This object is attained by a printing system according to the teaching of claim 1.
Advantageous embodiments of the present invention are the subject-matter of the subclaims.
The inventive printing system generically integrates all components and units required for imprinting and which are arranged between print material inlet and printed product outlet. Specifically, the printing system comprises at least one printing couple or a printing tower in which the actual printing process is executed. Moreover, at least one reel changer or sheet feeder is provided in order to allow feeding of the print material during roll-fed printing and sheet-fed printing in a definitely sorted manner. Besides, the printing system comprises at least one unit, particularly a folding unit or a sheet delivery, which is suited for post-processing and/or definitely sorted discharge of the printed products subsequent to carrying out the printing process. Moreover, it is a characteristic of generic printing systems that at least two system levels vertically arranged above each other are provided. The printing system as such forms a straight material flow line. Along said material flow line the print material is delivered through the printing system from the print material inlet to the printed product outlet.
In contrast to the hitherto employed combination of manual transport options and various automated transport systems, a transport system is provided for the inventive printing system, which extends in parallel to the material flow line over the entire length of the printing system and which is hence capable of covering all regions of the printing system. Said transport system comprises a conveyor device and at least one transport unit. Said conveyor device is characterized in that it is horizontally displaceable in parallel to the material flow line of the printing system. On its part, the transport unit mounted at the conveyor device can be raised vertically to any of the system levels at the conveyor device. As a result, it is thusly possible to reach and to consequently cover the entire printing system with the aid of the transport unit by means of displacing the conveyor device in a horizontal direction and by displacing the transport unit in a vertical direction. Thus, all transport functions at the printing system can be fulfilled using the inventive transport, system.
The manner in which the conveyor device is constructed is basically optional. According to a preferred embodiment, a conveyor elevator is employed as a conveyor device, wherein the transport unit is attached to the conveyor elevator and can be vertically raised using the conveyor elevator.
An especially accurate positioning and stable conveyance of the conveyor elevator is ensured if the conveyor elevator is displaceable on at least one rail parallel to the material flow line. As a result, a modified rail conveyor system with a vertically raisable transport unit is obtained.
In many instances, a special configuration of the transport unit will be necessary for executing specific transport functions. If for instance paper reels are intended to be conveyed, the transport unit is required to be equipped with a corresponding mandrel which can be laterally inserted into the paper tube of the paper reel. Alternatively thereto, a gripper can be provided on the exterior circumference of the reel, or else lateral support strips are arranged underneath the reels. In order to be able to adapt the transport system in a flexible manner to various transport tasks, it is thusly especially advantageous if the transport unit is attached to the conveyor device so as to be exchangeable. In this way, it is rendered possible to optionally attach different exchangeable transport units to the conveyor device and to consequently execute different transport tasks. The various exchangeable transport units may then, for instance in the case of non-use, be stored in an exchangeable transport unit storage and can be retrieved from there, if required, by the conveyor device. In the light of the aspect that the exchangeable transport units are attached to the conveyor device always in the same manner, it is possible to attach the transport unit to the conveyor device with the aid of uniform adapters.
In order to ensure reliable conveyance for instance of heavy materials such as paper reels, an exact relative arrangement between the transport unit and the relevant unit of the printing system is necessary. In order to ensure said exact relative arrangement, a mechanical fixing device by means of which the transport unit can be detachably fixed at the printing system may be provided at the transport unit. After start-up of the corresponding unit of the printing system, the fixing device can be activated, preferably in a remote-controlled fashion, and a mechanical fixation between transport unit and printing system can thereby be created. Subsequently, the corresponding machining task is executed and the fixing device is ultimately detached again. Thereafter, the transport unit can be removed again from the relevant unit in order to execute another transport task.
Insofar as an autonomous electrical supply of the transport unit is not possible, this aspect can be remedied also with the aid of an electrical supply interface. Said electrical supply interface is connected to the electrical supply lines of the printing system after start-up of the corresponding unit of the printing system, so that the transport unit can consequently be supplied with electrical energy from the energy supply network of the printing system.
Besides, the transport unit may also be provided with a data interface in order to be connected to the data lines of the printing system. In this way, data exchange between transport unit and printing system is enabled also in the absence of a wireless data connection.
The type of transport tasks to be executed with the aid of the transport unit of the inventive printing system is basically optional. A first field of application of the transport units is the transportation of personnel, in order to carry operating personnel to the various parts of the printing system. To this end, the transport unit can be configured in the type of a mobile personnel transportation unit. As a consequence, the complex galleries and the interposed stairs which are otherwise required at generic printing systems to reach the different system levels can be dispensed with. For reaching the various regions of the printing system the operating personnel may ascend the personnel transportation unit and may rapidly reach the relevant region of the printing system. This technology, where the operator can be moved, provides entirely new types of operation. It is conceivable that an acute malfunction can be analyzed by expert software to the extent so as to be able to establish whether manual interaction on the part of the operator is necessary. The operator may then instantaneously (upon acknowledgement) be carried to the location of the failure. Another transport unit automatically carries further operators or suitable spare parts to the location of said failure.
The operating system may request the operator to perform an inspection and may carry the operator to the location of the hazard already at the time when a warning is output, i.e. prior to machine standstill.
The operating system may coordinate the setup processes in a temporally optimal manner.
In line with the basic version, the personnel transportation unit is solely intended for transportation of personnel. In upgrading said functionality, the personnel transportation unit, however, may also include an operator cabin, wherein the operator to be carried is protected on all sides by a cabin wall. As a result, by means of the operator cabin a room for the operating personnel is created, providing shelter to the operating personnel from undesired external impacts, especially noise. In this context the dimensions of the operator cabin as a matter of course can be adjusted to different needs, so that it is equally possible to accommodate several operating persons in the operator cabin. Moreover, the operator cabin can be equipped with suitable furniture, especially seating furniture, so as to enhance operating convenience. The cabin wall preferably should also contain transparent sections, for instance safety glass panes, in order to make it possible for the operating personnel to directly inspect the printing system. For executing certain processes or for performing inspections, the operating personnel along with the operator cabin may then be carried to the various locations of the printing system. As far as necessary, the operating personnel may leave the operator cabin at the relevant location and may laterally enter the printing system.
In order to shelter the operating personnel from the undesirable consequences of exposure to noise or temperature, the operator cabin should preferably be designed in a soundproof and/or air-conditioned manner.
In the known printing systems, the various units are respectively equipped with specific operating elements, especially safety operating elements, for instance an emergency turnoff button. Each individual unit hence needs to be equipped with a plurality of operating elements and safety operating elements, thereby giving rise to high costs. In order to reduce said costs, the personnel transportation unit may include corresponding operating elements, especially safety operating elements. Beyond that, provision needs to be made for a data connection via which data can be exchanged between the operating elements of the personnel transportation unit and the functional units of the printing system. In this way, most operating elements arranged at the functional units of the printing system can be dispensed with and can be replaced by the operating elements in the personnel transportation unit, since operation of the functional units anyway can only be performed by the operating personnel respectively located in the personnel transportation unit. Where appropriate, it is also possible to dispense with for instance mechanical safety devices, such as finger protection bars or covers, if the same have once been fixedly installed for a specific unit or else detachably installed for various units. If the operating and safety elements are removed from the units, it is also possible to incorporate other functional elements, for instance position feedback signals from adjusting elements which are otherwise still operated via the unit control can be incorporated. This aspect involves both inputs and outputs (I/O's). The signals can be directly transmitted from the individual adjusting elements in a wireless fashion. Then, the controlling operation in the units can be drastically minimized or else can be completely replaced by the wireless data transmission.
According to another upgrade stage of the inventive printing system in the personnel transportation unit provision is made for a control center for controlling the printing system. In turn, a data connection for data exchange between said mobile control center and the printing system needs to be provided. By means of the control center, the operating personnel located in the personnel transportation unit is provided with the option to control the entire printing system, so that a stationary control room having a fixedly integrated control center can be dispensed with. Said mobile control center thereby provides the advantage that the operating personnel, where required, may directly reach and inspect each location of the printing system.
In this context, it is especially advantageous if a wireless data connection is provided between the mobile control center and the printing system for data exchange. In this way, the control center can be positioned in the personnel transportation unit in a highly flexible manner and regardless of trailing cables. It is conceivable to employ for instance WLAN data networks as wireless data connections.
In addition to personnel transportation, the automation of certain operating processes or delivery processes constitutes an alternative or additional field of application of the transport systems installed on inventive printing systems. To this end, the transport unit which is horizontally and vertically positionable with the aid of the conveyor device can be designed in the type of a mobile automation unit. The operating processes or delivery processes to be respectively executed can then be implemented at the corresponding unit of the printing system, wherein the automation unit is then positioned at another unit, and may execute the relevant processes at this unit. In this way, a plurality of automation units which are otherwise required to be positioned in a stationary manner can be dispensed with and can be replaced by a mobile automation unit.
Specifically such mobile automation units can be employed for assembly and/or disassembly of printing plates at printing systems.
Another field of application for the use of transport units is material supply and material disposal. For this purpose, the transport unit may be configured in the type of a mobile material supply unit or else in the type of a mobile material disposal unit by means of which the respectively required material, for instance paper, ink, spare parts, printing plates, direct mail promotional material, packaging material, stickers, paper tubes or maculation, can be automatically delivered to or delivered away from specific parts of the printing system.
Specifically, a material supply unit for transporting non-imprinted paper reels or non-imprinted paper sheets should be provided to solve said main transport task.
Besides, provision should also be made for a material disposal unit for transporting unloaded paper tubes.
As a matter of course, combined material supply and disposal units, which can be used both for material supply and for material disposal, are also conceivable.
In order to attain enhanced functional integration, transport units may also be configured in the type of combination units, by means of which different functions of various fields of application, especially for carrying operating personnel and/or for transporting material and/or for automatically executing operating processes and/or delivery processes, can be fulfilled.
For many functions it is sufficient if the transport unit is positioned at the desired location of the printing system on a side of the printing system by driving the conveyor device. For some functions, however, said lateral arrangement of the transport unit may be insufficient. For instance when feeding paper reels to a reel changer, the paper reel needs to be laterally driven into the printing system in order to attain central positioning of the paper reel in front of the reel changer. Also in the case of a printing plate change, positioning of the relevant automation unit directly in front of the relevant printing couple is frequently necessary.
In order to enable this, the transport system may be equipped with a transverse drive, by means of which the transport unit can be driven transverse to the material flow line. By driving the transverse drive, the transport unit can thus be laterally driven into the printing system.
In addition to the transport system, the present invention relates to another inventive aspect, i.e. the integration of various components of the printing system into an overlapping support frame. Hence, according to said second inventive aspect it is suggested that the printing system features such an overlapping support frame to which substantially all components of the printing system can be attached along the material flow line starting from the print material inlet up to the printed product outlet. As a consequence, this means that the printing system is no longer assembled in the type of standalone solutions using a large variety of different individual components, thereby giving rise to difficulties as a result of the interfaces between the individual components. Instead, the printing system is integrated into the overlapping support frame. By using such an overlapping support frame, the production of a concrete table for setting up the printing system can be dispensed with. Moreover, the use of such a support frame enables highly flexible rearrangement of units and components in a reconfiguration of the printing system, if for instance product requirements have changed or in the event of technical innovations or upgrades.
The constructional design of the support frame is basically optional. According to a preferred embodiment, several modular cells, in which respectively one functional module of the printing system, for instance a printing couple, a folding unit, a reel changer or the like, can be accommodated, are formed by the support frame. Said individual modular cells are horizontally arranged side-by-side along the material flow line and are arranged above each other at various system levels. As a result, the individual modular cells form open or closed spaces in which respectively one functional module can be accommodated. This enables the use of a large number of identical parts, since the functional modules can be designed in the type of standardized components in serial production.
The type of the functional modules used and arranged in the individual modular cells is basically optional. Preferably, one functional module designed in the type of a printing couple, printing roll or dryer or material storage or cooling roll unit or reel changer or sheet feeder or folding unit or operator room should be arranged in at least one modular cell. The individual functional modules may in this context be prefabricated by the manufacturer and can be readily mounted during use of the printing system by arrangement in a modular cell. Specifically, easy dismantling of the printing system is conceivable. Moreover, the individual functional modules can be readily reused at a later point of time and can be employed at a different location in a modified system configuration.
For arrangement of the functional modules in the modular cells of the support frame two alternatives are available, respectively depending upon the alignment of the rolls and cylinders. According to the first alternative, the longitudinal axes of the rolls and cylinders of the functional modules extend transverse to the direction of the material flow line. As a consequence, a highly compact construction is attained, since the rolls and cylinders over their entire length extend transverse to the printing system.
According to the second alternative, the longitudinal axes of the rolls and cylinders of the functional modules extend in the direction of the material flow line. It is true that thereby the length of the printing system tends to be extended in the direction of the material flow line, the arrangement of the longitudinal axes of the rolls and cylinders in the direction of the material flow line, however, provides the advantage that the rolls and cylinders are laterally accessible from the printing system, and hence are accessible from the transport unit. Thus, specifically maintenance and inspection of the printing system are simplified.
In order to be able to dispense with a heavy-duty crane during assembly of the printing system, the conveyor device of the transport unit can be employed. Instead of the transport units typically attached to the conveyor device, during assembly of the printing system respectively one functional module is accommodated at the conveyor device and is conveyed to the correspondingly provided modular cell of the support frame. At this location, the functional module can be laterally inserted into the modular cell, for instance by driving the transverse drive, and can be attached therein. One conveyor device on its own is limited in terms of the lifting force. However, if it is possible to electrically and/or mechanically couple two or else four conveyor devices, the lifting force is increased to an extent which is sufficient for raising the light-weight units of the subsequent concept stages.
It is especially advantageous if the dimensions of the modular cells correspond to the preset modular dimensions, since as a consequence the use of a plurality of identical parts can be simplified. Moreover, the printing system can also be readily upgraded at a later stage by adding further raster elements.
The individual modular cells on their part preferably should be designed with a cubical shape and should each feature a uniform width corresponding to the width of the printing system transverse to the material flow line. Hence, the printing system is formed by stacking a plurality of modular cells which are successively arranged in the direction of the material flow line.
In order to enable standardized supply of the modular cells with energy, water and information, the modular cells preferably should feature connections for supplying the functional modules with electrical energy and/or water and/or pressurized air and/or data.
In order to readily enable material flow between the modular cells, paper conveyance devices may respectively be provided between two modular cells.
Constructively speaking, the support frame may be designed in a simple manner by a plurality of longitudinal supports which are interconnected at points of intersection. For instance a support frame can be composed of standardized steel beams and at a later stage can be equipped with the corresponding functional modules for the purpose of assembling the printing system.
Various aspects of the present invention are schematically illustrated in the drawings and are exemplarily specified below.
In the drawings:
The mobile material supply unit 14 illustrated in
The material storage 16 illustrated in
Moreover, the personnel transportation unit contains safety operating elements 124, for instance emergency turnoff buttons, for protection of the operators. The transverse drive 122 is displaceable by driving a motor of a driving device 125. The electrical connection of the operating elements 123 and safety operating elements 24 is performed with the aid of trailing cables. Alternatively thereto, wirelessly functioning data connections or contacts, which are only contacted when the personnel transportation unit 34 is coupled to the printing system, can also be utilized.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2007 058 650.9 | Dec 2007 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/DE08/01961 | 11/27/2008 | WO | 00 | 6/2/2010 |
